Is Math.max(a,b) or (a>b)?a:b faster in Java?

Question

Which one is faster in Java and why?

1. Math.max(a,b)
2. (a>b)?a:b

(This was asked in an interview.)

Answer 1

If I had asked such a question in an interview, I would have expected the candidate to tell me that the two expressions may not give the same result for all possible types of a and b.